BY RAY STRUNK
Special to the Tribune
ELLINWOOD — A steal and go-ahead transition basket in the final seconds from La Crosse’s Skylar Davis gave the Leopards a 52-50 road win over Ellinwood in a heated basketball contest Tuesday night.
After trailing by 15 points, a 3-pointer by Ellinwood’s Zack Jacobs, his fifth of the night, tied the game at 50-50 with just over a minute on the clock. A subsequent defensive stop gave Ellinwood the ball with 27 seconds remaining and a chance to go ahead. The Eagles took a timeout to draw up their final possession.
Looking for a steal, Davis picked up a foul with 15 seconds remaining.
The Eagles reset their offense and pushed the ball up the court once more. Just after reaching halfcourt, Martinez’s dribble was snagged by Davis who finished with a layup on the other end to put the Leopards ahead with four seconds remaining.
The Eagles were unable to get a final shot off.
Martinez and Jacobs were responsible for 42 of Ellinwood’s 50 points. Martinez led the Eagles with seven 3-pointers and 27 points. Jacobs finished with 15, all from behind the arc. The Eagles (4-8, 0-3 CPL) converted 13 of 30 3-pointers for 39 points.
Hunter Morgan led the Leopards (6-7, 2-3 CPL) with 20 points. Davis finished with 12.
The Eagles, playing without junior Nathan Monday, struggled from the start. A first-quarter three from Davis sparked an 11-0 La Crosse run, putting the Leopards up 11-3 early in the second quarter.
The Leopards continued to exploit Ellinwood’s lack of a post presence, dishing the ball down low for buckets. Using great ball movement, six different players scored points in the first half.
La Crosse had the ball and an 17-8 lead with just a minute remaining in the first half when freshman Hunter Morgan bounced the inbounds pass off the backside of an Eagle defender to himself for a bucket.
Fired up about the play, Ellinwood coach Derek Joiner argued with one of the referees and picked up a technical foul. Still angry, he refused to back away and was promptly ejected from the game after a second technical foul.
Morgan drained the four resulting free throws giving the Leopards a 23-8 lead.
Martinez and Joel Kasselman each connected from behind the arc in the final minute of the half to cut the Leopards’ halftime lead to nine.
Without the head coach, Martinez took it upon himself to lead the team in the second half.
Trailing 32-20 midway through the third quarter, buckets from Martinez and Jacobs sparked an 11-0 Ellinwood run to bring the Eagles within two.
La Crosse had an answer for everything though. An 8-0 Leopard run stretched the lead back to 10 early in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles refused to roll over. Three threes from Jacobs and another from Martinez brought the Eagles right back in the game.
LHS 9 16 10 17 — 52
EHS 3 11 16 20 — 50
LHS—Morgan 20, Davis 12, Ryersee 5, Trower 8, Reidel 5, Herdman 2, Day 2
EHS—Tyson Martinez 9-18 2-2 27, Zack Jacobs 5-13 0-0 15, Kasselman 3-11 1-2 8, Eric Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Peyton Duvall 0-3 0-0 0, Blake Garman 0-2 0-0 0, Landon Robl 0-2 0-1 0, Totals 17-50 3-5 50.
3-point goals—E 13-30 (Martinez 7-12, Jacobs 5-12, Kasselman 1-5, Duvall 0-1). Assists—E 14 (Jacobs 5). Steals—E 13 (Martinez 4). Rebounds—E 22 (Garman 5, Jacobs 5, Kasselman 5). TO E 11.
CPL BOYS
St. John 3-0 11-1
Otis-Bison 3-0 11-2
CPlains 2-0 8-4
Ness City 2-1 12-1
Macksville 1-2 8-4
LaCrosse 1-1 6-7
Ellinwood 0-3 4-8
Victoria 0-2 0-13
Kinsley 0-3 2-11
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Dighton 47, Otis-Bison 41
LaCrosse 52, Ellinwood 50
Ellis 77, Victoria 51
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Ellinwood at Lyons
Otis-Bison at Sylvan Grove
Pratt at Macksville
LaCrosse at Victoria
ST. JOHN (3-0, 11-1)—W Skyline 82-25; W Keady Classic (W Kinsley 103-6; W Macksville 65-49; W Spearville 47-36); W Central Plains 62-31; W Cunningham 85-11; W *Kinsley 57-13; W *Ness City 53-42; W *Ellinwood 61-41; Mid Winter Classic (W West 57-20; W Pratt 51-34; L Ness City 56-59); 1-31, Norwich; W; 2-3, *Central Plains; 2-7, at *LaCrosse; 2-10, at *Victoria; 2-14, at South Central; 2-17, *Macksville; 2-21, at *Otis-Bison; 2-23, at Cimarron
OTIS-BISON (3-0, 11-2)—W Wilson 58-29; Fairfield Classic (W Stafford 70-21; W Flinthills 60-31; W Chase 52-19); LaCrosse 55-52; W Stafford 63-41; W *Victoria 62-49; W *Kinsley 71-25; W *LaCrosse 51-48; Winter Jam (W Victoria 46-32; L Hoisington 36-47; W Minn. 56-51); L Dighton 41-47; 1-27, at Sylvan Grove; 1-31, at *Central Plains; 2-3, Meade; 2-10, *Ness City; 2-14, at *Mackville; 2-17, *Ellinwood; 2-21, *St. John
CENTRAL PLAINS (2-0, 8-4)—W Hoisington 44-38; Russell Tournament (W Lincoln 67-29; W Ellsworth 64-47; W Nickerson 52-40); L St. John 31-62; W Larned 66-54; L Sacred Heart 37-51; W *Macksville 58-54; W *Victoria 74-17; Mid Winter Classic (W Nickerson 60-37; L Ness City 46-52; L Pratt 45-52; 1-31, *Otis-Bison; 2-3, *St. John; 2-4, at Concordia; 2-7, Plainville; 2-10, *LaCrosse; 2-14, at *Ness City; 2-17, *Kinsley; 2-21, at *Ellinwood
NESS CITY (2-1, 12-1)—W *Macksville 70-43; Trego Tournament (W No. Valley 69-45; W LaCrosse 82-41; W Oakley 69-21); W Hodgeman Co. 64-36; W *Kinsley 85-13; W Ellis 60-31; L *St. John 42-53; W Spearville 53-45; W Trego 59-41; MidWinter Classic (W Larned 64-46; W CPlains 52-46; W St. John 59-56); 1-31, at Hill City; 2-3, *LaCrosse; 2-7, *Ellinwood; 2-10, at *Otis-Bison; 2-14, *Central Plains; 2-17, *Victoria; 2-21, at Dighton
MACKSVILLE (1-2, 8-4)—L *Ness City 43-70; Keady Classic (W Kiowa Co. 71-60; L St. John 49-65; W Hoisington 53-46); W Stafford 97-43; W Cunningham 78-29; L *Central Plains 54-58; W LaCrosse 63-31; W *Ellinwood 76-41; Mid Winter Classic (L Pratt 40-50; W West 79-56; W Nickerson 69-60); 1-27, Pratt; 1-31, *LaCrosse; 2-3, *Victoria; 2-7, at *Kinsley; 2-10, Fowler; 2-14, *Otis-Bison; 2-17, at *St. John; 2-21, at Hodgeman County
LACROSSE (1-1, 6-7)—L Kiowa Co. 43-68; Trego Tournament (W Trego 45-37; L Ness City 41-82; W Hodgeman Co. 39-29); W Dighton; L Otis-Bison 52-55; W Western Plains; L Macksville 31-63; L *Otis-Bison 48-51; WinterJam (L Minn; L Russell 39-64; W Victoria 55-37); W *Ellinwood 52-50; 1-27, *at Victoria; 1-31, at *Macksville; 2-3, at *Ness City; 2-7, *St. John; 2-10, at *Central Plains; 2-14, Stockton; 2-21, *Kinsley
ELLINWOOD (0-3, 4-8)—W Russell 63-47; Keady Classic (L Spearville 38-48; W Larned 56-46; L Kiowa Co. 54-61); W Ell-Saline 58-56; L Ellis 49-59; L *St. John 41-61; L *Macksville 41-76; WinterJam (L HHS 36-47 W Victoria 56-45; L Russell 46-50); L *LaCrosse 50-52; 1-27, at Lyons; 1-31, *Victoria; 2-3, Haven; 2-7, at *Ness City; 2-10, *Kinsley; 2-14, at Plainville; 2-17, at *Otis-Bison; 2-23, *Central Plains
VICTORIA (0-2, 0-13)—L Hoxie 32-64; Trego Tournament (L Oakley 39-50; L Stockton 26-65; L Trego 29-45) L TMP 48-90; L Plainville 19-65; L *Otis-Bison 49-62; L Stockton 34-73; L *Central Plains 17-74; Winter Jam (L OB 32-46; L Ellinwood 45-56; L LaCrosse 37-55); L Ellis 51-77; 1-27, *LaCrosse; 1-31, *Ellinwood; 2-3, *Macksville; 2-10, *St. John; 2-14, *Kinsley; 2-17, at *Ness City; 2-21, Osborne
KINSLEY (0-3, 2-11)—L Sublette 43-74; Keady Classic (L St. John 6-103; L Kiowa Co. 47-76; L Larned 33-68) L Skyline 35-67; L Ness City 13-85; L *St. John 13-57; W Cunningham 52-48; L *Otis-Bison 25-71; L Kiowa County 26-68; 54 Classic (L SBarber 30-65; L Stafford 68-75; W Cunningham 49-39); 1-31, South Central; 2-3, Spearville; 2-7, *Macksville; 2-10, at *Ellinwood; 2-14, *Victoria; 2-17, at *Central Plains; 2-21, at *LaCrosse
